Various types of emergency breathing apparatuses are used in emergency situations. Typically these breathing apparatuses are used in modern mass transit systems, emergency vehicles, and by emergency first responders and are intended to protect a user from harmful airborne particles or supplement a lack of breathable oxygen. Some examples are U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,279,571, issued in the name of Meckes, which describes an emergency breathing apparatus comprising a hood that is worn by a user in an environment where there is a fire or other contamination and 5,809,999, issued in the name of Lang, which describes a method and apparatus for supplying breathable gas in emergency oxygen systems, especially in an aircraft. Various other attempts to provide breathable oxygen for emergency uses include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,372, issued in the name of Beysel et al., which describes a process and apparatus for providing breathing gas; 4,508,700, issued in the name of Hoshiko, which describes a method of generating oxygen for emergency use; and 6,701,923, issued in the name of Cazenave et al., which describes a process and installation for the distribution of air enriched in oxygen to passengers of an aircraft. These attempts however have certain disadvantages, including the chance of combustion due to the use of enriched oxygen and the complexity of installation and utilization which often restricts the versatility of the solution to use with pressurized environments and other more common emergency situations are not addressed.
All too often we hear or read about a motor vehicle that travels off of a roadway and ends up submerged in a lake, stream, pond, or the like. Most times, such accidents occur from general confusion, poor visibility, unknown surroundings and the like. As such, most drivers are awake, not injured, and in control of an operational vehicle when all of a sudden they find themselves in rapidly rising water. However, doors may become stuck, windows may become non-operational and people die quickly even if a rescue team is immediately dispatched due to the simple matter of the vehicle occupants drowning. A few minutes of air make all the difference for a rescue team or even the vehicle occupants themselves who may now have time to get a door open or a window broken out. While various vehicle air purification and recirculation systems exist, they do not address use in emergency situations. U.S. Pat. No. 6,712,886, issued in the name of Kim, describes an air purification device for an automobile with oxygen-supplying function which air is collected, purified, and enriched with oxygen before being resupplied to the vehicle.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffers from one (1) or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Accordingly, a need exists for a means by which occupants of a submerged vehicle can be provided with a source of oxygen during an accidental submersion to allow for rescue. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.